13 Duas for Anxiety, Worry, and Stress From the Quran and Sunnah

DISCLAIMER: These duas are not meant to be used as a substitute for professional help.

May Allah grant you ease. Ameen

Trials and tribulations are a certainty of life. As Allah says in the Quran:

“Do people think they will be left alone after saying ‘We believe’ without being put to the test?” (Al ‘Ankabut, Ayah 29).

For the past year, we have all been going through some form of hardship, whether it be sickness, grief or isolation. Allah has provided us with remedies for the trials of this world in the Quran and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

As life continues at its slower pace and Ramadan approaches, it helps to remember this Ayah:

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Al Baqarah, Ayah 153).

Allah reminds us that even when we feel the most alone, He is with us, and this is one of the etiquettes of making dua: to believe with conviction that Allah is listening.

Duas for Anxiety and Worry in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

1.’O Allah, I seek refuge in you from grief and sadness, from weakness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by others.’

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحُزْنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘a’oothu bika minal-hammi walhazani, wal’ajzi walkasali, walbukhli waljubni, wa dhala’id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal

2. ‘There is no might and no power except with Allah.’

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah

3. ‘O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured, and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.’

اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّي عَبْـدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْـدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِـكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَـدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤكَ أَسْأَلُـكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّـيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أِوْ أَنْزَلْتَـهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْـتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِـكَ أَوِ اسْتَـأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الغَيْـبِ عِنْـدَكَ أَنْ تَجْـعَلَ القُرْآنَ رَبِيـعَ قَلْبِـي، وَنورَ صَـدْرِي وجَلَاءَ حُـزْنِي وذَهَابَ هَمِّـي

Allaahumma ‘inny ‛abduk-ibnu-‛abdik-ibnu-amatik, naaṣiyatee biyadik, maaḍin fiyya ḥukmuk, ‛adlun fiyya qaḍaa’uk, as’aluka bi kull-ismin huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw anzaltahu fee kitaabik, aw ‛allamtahu aḥadan min khalqik, awis-ta’tharta bihi fee ‛ilmil-ghaybi ‛indak, an taj‛al-al-quraana rabee‛a qalbee, wa noora ṣadree, wa jalaa’a ḥuznee, wa dhahaa-ba hammee

4. ‘O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.’

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَا أَنْتَ

Allahumma raḥmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi ṭarfata `ayn, wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, la illaha illa ant.

5. ‘O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, in Your Mercy I seek relief.’

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيْث

Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyoom birahmatika astagheeth

6. ‘O Allah, there is no ease except in that which You have made easy, and You make the difficulty, if You wish, easy.’

اللّهُـمَّ لا سَـهْلَ إِلاّ ما جَعَلـتَهُ سَهـلاً، وَأَنْتَ تَجْـعَلُ الْحَـزَنَ إِذا شِـئْتَ سَهـْلاً

Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja ‘altahu sahla, wa anta taj ‘alul hazna ith-a shi’ ta’ sahlan

7. ‘Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God except Him. I place my trust in Him, and He is the Rabb of the great throne.’

حسبى الله لا إله إلا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم

Hasbiya Allahu la ilaha illa huwa ‘aalayhi tawakkaltu wahuwa rabbu al’aarshi al’atheem.

8. ‘Allah, Allah is my Lord; I do not associate anything with Him.’

اللهُ اللهُ رَبِّ لا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئاً

Allahu Allahu Rabbi la ushriku bihi shay’an

9. ‘Allah is sufficient for me, and how fine a trustee (He is).’

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الوَكِيْلُ

Hasbiya Allah wa ni’mal-Wakil

10. ‘To Allah, we belong, and unto Him is our return. O Allah, recompense me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better.’

إِنَّا للهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ، اللَّهمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيْبَتِي، وَاخْلُفْ لِي خَيْرا ً مِنْهَا

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Allahumma-u’jurni fi musibati, wa akhlif li khairan minha.

11. Dua of Prophet Yunus (A.S.): ‘None has the right to be worshipped except You. How perfect You are. Verily, I was among the wrong-doers.’ – (Al Anbiya, 87)

لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِيْنَ

La illaha illa anta subhanak ‘inny kuntu min aldhaalimeen

Of this dua, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is reported to have said: “No Muslim supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.” (Tirmidhi)

12. Dua of Prophet Musa (A.S.): ‘My Lord! I am truly in desperate need of whatever good You may have in store for me.’ – (Al Qasas, 24)

رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

rabi ‘inny lima ‘anzalt ‘iilaya min khayr faqir